One World
by King of Music 2019
Summary: "It's there, Bowser, I'm telling you; right where the currents meet. The continent in the sky, raised up by the golden power in our legends and myths... I'll prove it to you, I've discovered the impossible. The legends are true... I have found Hyrule." In times of peace come periods of discovery. And discovery changes everything, forever.
1. Prelude: A World at Peace

_**Hi, everyone!**_

_**I have been experiencing some severe writer's block the past several weeks, and I need a way to move past it. So, I thought, why not make a story based on some ideas I have often had about scenarios involving the real world, the world of Mario, and Hyrule?**_

_**If you follow my stories (currently only in the Ninjago category until I started this one), you may notice that I like to use a common character in my stories. I have a lot of fun putting the same character in different worlds, no changing of the personalities, just the name.**_

_**Anyway, this is my first crack at a crossover story, and also my first crack at anything related to Mario or The Legend of Zelda.**_

_**I hope you enjoy, and please, leave a comment!**_

* * *

**ONE WORLD**

_Prelude. A World at Peace._

* * *

Peace reigned in the world; war seemed a thing of the past.

After King Bowser of the Koopa Empire's last attempt at conquering the Mushroom Kingdom by capturing its leader ended in himself being consumed in his own maniacal creation and all his efforts undone, he decided it was time to finally make peace with the world.

After Bowser's downfall, the Mushroom World was stunned to discover that their world had become tethered to another- a world in which humans were the only sentient species. The humans were equally stunned, as it would appear that the Mushroom World had completely replaced the continents of Europe, Asia, and Africa on the globe overnight, with Australia disappearing completely.

The inhabitants of the former Mushroom World also found that their geography had changed. The Mushroom Kingdom now occupied what was once the United Kingdom, the Koopa Empire occupied a large chunk of central and eastern Europe (comparable to the Austro-Hungarian Empire at its peak), the Yoshi Confederacy occupied former Germany and Poland, while the Whittle Union occupied a vast land once called Russia and some small surrounding nations.

Once the world was over being stunned, the countries of the newly unified Earth strove to make peace with one another. The International Powers Union was formed to facilitate these efforts, made up of representatives from member nations (Mushroom Kingdom, Yoshi Confederacy, Whittle Union, Koopa Empire; United States decided not to join) who were elected by special committees or appointed by the nations' rulers.

As for the King of the Koopas: for two years, Bowser made every step he could to prove his desire for peace and well intentions. The first step he made was bringing in a human as Chancellor to the Empire (in the Koopa Empire, this position was equal to a chief adviser who also acted as the highest-ranking executive official in the country).

The man's name was Gallius, a musician who moved to the Koopa Empire due to the Koopas' culture being known for a deep musical tradition. He found fame quickly, winning over every audience with the music he wrote and performed.

His fame reached the ears of King Bowser, who gave Gallius a title of nobility and offered him a job as court musician (which included a suite in Koopa Castle). Lord Gallius accepted the offer and moved in immediately.

Over the course of a few months, the King and the musician got to know each other and could be considered close friends. Lord Gallius was accepting and forgiving of King Bowser's mistakes, and the King was keen to appreciate Gallius's musical abilities.

Lord Gallius also possessed incredible leadership skills. He founded an orchestra called the Imperial Symphony and served as its conductor, and the Koopalings insisted on calling him "Uncle Gallius" as a result of his willingness to assist their busy father in taking care of them.

It was the King's recognition of Gallius's leadership skills that led him to promote this musician to the position of Chancellor to the Empire, where he excelled in leading the nation's domestic affairs under the King's direction.

It came as no surprise that, when the Koopa Empire received admission into the International Powers Union, Lord Gallius was chosen by the elected council from the member nations to preside over the meetings. Under this body, peace bloomed like wildflowers in spring.

King Bowser's next step on the path of peace was to turn his powerful Koopa magic into technology and share it with the world.

Quickly, it was no longer a dream to put people on other planets. With this new technology made possible by Koopa magic, energy and fuel became irrelevant variables when coming up with ways to leave the planet and explore beyond. Physics was proven wrong when a probe using this technology exceeded the speed of light by a factor of several times to reach a distant star several light-years away in only a few hours.

After two years of staying on his new path and proving his changed heart to the world, the world accepted Bowser as a great world leader, and the Koopa Empire as one of the foremost nations in science and discovery.

Then, an earth-shattering discovery was made, accidentally, by Lord Gallius.

And that is where our story begins.


	2. I: Emptiness

_**I hope that you enjoyed the first part of the story; call it a teaser for the real thing.**_

_**Before progressing any forward, I should note that this story takes place immediately after the events of **_**The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess _and may spoil _Twilight Princess_ for you if you have never played the game and intend to do so. I believe I noted that it is in the _Twilight Princess_ "world" in the story information when I was publishing the story, but I wanted to make that statement here before we really get into things just to make sure there is a fair spoiler warning._**

**_Also, the rating will be increasing to "T" shortly after I upload this chapter. I started it out with "K-plus" but I think I will be bumping it up. This is definitely not going to have any content that you would hide from younger children; I don't like strong sexual content and I don't like much cursing so I stay away from those things. I'm mostly increasing the rating for projection reasons. The themes in this story probably wouldn't mean much to a younger audience; folks 13 and up are more likely to enjoy this story and take something out of the messages contained herein. But if that constitutes a problem for some reason, I will change it back. We'll just have to see._**

**_That being said, please enjoy this story and leave your thoughts in the reviews!_**

* * *

**ONE WORLD**

_Chapter I. Emptiness._

* * *

She was gone.

Hyrule was free of Ganondorf's dark reign; but she was gone, most probably forever.

The journey from the Arbiter's Keep back to Hyrule Castle by horse-drawn carriage on the newly repaired Desert Road had been a silent one. Neither the princess nor the hero uttered a word. Perhaps it was a stunned silence, or perhaps it was a sad one.

The fact remained that the voyage was completely and utterly silent, until Hyrule Castle loomed on the horizon in all its restored glory.

"Princess Zelda," the hero clad in the green of his ancestor finally said. "Why did she have to leave?"

The princess contemplated the question and possible appropriate answers that would soothe the aching heart of the hero while still containing the truth of the matter.

"Link," the princess replied. "Midna, as you know, is the ruler of the Twilight Realm. I know that, over your journey, you grew to care for each other in a special way; I could it in the way you often looked at each other in the months spent repairing the castle and Desert Road following your triumph over Ganondorf.

"Unfortunately, there are some things that take precedence over our own personal feelings, no matter how strong those feelings may be. As rulers, we have a responsibility to put our people before ourselves."

The response did not seem to soothe Link; the swordsman only seemed more agitated than before. Zelda saw the tears in Link's eyes when he realized that the Mirror of Twilight was breaking under Midna's power, and the tears were returning in force.

"But why did she break the Mirror and sever the connection? Ganondorf is gone; our worlds no longer pose any threat to each other in any way."

"I do not have the answer to this question, Link, and I cannot pretend otherwise. All that I can say is this… the price of victory is high, but so are the rewards. In due time, the light of our victory over evil will come to outshine the pain of its costs."

With a solemn nod, Link turned his eyes to meet those of the princess.

"I understand… thank you, Your Highness."

"Please, call me Zelda."

For the hour remaining of the voyage, there was silence once again. This time, however, it was a silence of understanding, more peaceful than the silence that had followed the shattering of the Mirror of Twilight.

As the sun set over Hyrule, the carriage arrived at its heart: Hyrule Castle.

"Link," said Zelda, entering into the grand entrance hall, empty at this particular time. "I know that you have requested to return to your home in the Ordona Province when our kingdom had healed from Ganondorf's darkness, and I am glad to grant this request. However, I have a request of you before you leave."

"Yes," Link replied. "Anything."

"As you know, the entire kingdom will be joining in a grand parade and celebration two days from today. Because you have saved our land from untold evils, I would ask… that you allow me to knight you for your service to Hyrule at the conclusion of the parade."

Link was speechless for a moment; but though his mouth said nothing, his mind swam with a thousand responses to the proposition previously posed to him. The one he settled on was the one he thought to be the most honest to himself.

"Princess, I am deeply honored by your request… but I cannot accept it. I was simply doing what I knew was right; seeing Hyrule free of evil is my quest's reward. I don't feel that I deserve any greater."

"Link, please. Let the people of Hyrule honor you for the freedom and light that you have returned to us. It is your choice, of course, but I ask that you consider accepting the kingdom's thanks. You have until the start of the parade to let me know your decision."

"I will consider it… thank you, Your- "

Link stopped short, remembering the princess's earlier request for him to simply use her name.

"Thank you, Zelda."

With that, the princess retired to her chambers while Link desired a stroll around Castle Town. While on his walk, Link became lost in his thoughts, absentmindedly greeting folks in the streets and accepting many expressions of gratitude from the residents of the town.

He walked around for an hour and then returned to his guest suite in the castle, sitting on a velvet couch in the den remembering a scene that had transpired late in the previous night in the place he sat again tonight...

* * *

_For the past few months, Zelda, Link, and Midna had been traveling between Hyrule and the Twilight Realm working together to repair both kingdoms in the wake of the defeat of the King of Evil. Tonight, however, was a night of rest; their work was done and, finally, all was peace in both kingdoms._

_Midna walked into the den to see Link sitting on a velvet couch, in his pajamas and slumped over with his head in his hands. He made no noise or otherwise acknowledgement that Midna had entered his presence. She decided he either did not notice her, or he was so deep in his thoughts that he chose to ignore her entrance._

"_Link?" she asked, concerned for her hero. "Are you alright?"_

_His head snapped up, revealing an expression that appeared peaceful in contrast to the seemingly distressed position he was in previously._

"_Hey Midna," he said in his smooth, silky voice. "Yeah, I'm fine."_

_Link usually did not have much to say; Midna had noticed that he seemed to talk to her much more openly than with others. This is not to say Link hated talking to others, he simply preferred to think first and talk second. She admired this in him, among several of his other traits._

_It was no secret that the Twilight Princess had grown to care greatly for Link. Princess Zelda had just revealed to Midna a few minutes ago that she could see the Twili's feelings for Link bare across her face. That was, in part why Midna came looking for Link in hopes that he had not gone to bed yet._

_Link and Zelda knew that Midna had to return to the Twilight Realm tomorrow, but only Midna knew for how long she would be gone; that is, forever, and with no hope of a visit. She had to reveal her feelings to this hero now, or he would never know. And he deserved to know._

"_Why were you slumped over like that?" she asked._

"_Oh, I was just reflecting on everything that has happened. It's so hard to believe that it's over; we've repaired the damage done to the kingdom by Ganondorf, you're getting to go home tomorrow… and, hopefully, we can visit each other and spend some time together."_

_Why did he have to say that, thought the Twilight Princess. Burying this, she answered him._

"_I'd like that… Link, I'd like to talk to you about something."_

"_I have something to talk about too; but you go first."_

_She was unsure why, but she giggled at this. Perhaps it was out of a happy hope that his message was similar to the one she was about to deliver. She sat beside him on the couch._

"_Well," Midna started. "We've been through a lot in the past several months, and I don't think either of us would have ever made it without each other."_

"_I agree," said Link._

"_Yeah… and I think the more time I spent with you and the better I got to know you, the more I realized that you're not just a great warrior and brave; you're also a great person and I just love being around you."_

_Link's face was starting to get darker. He hoped this was going where it seemed to be going, but he remained silent, taking in her every word._

"_Link, what I'm trying to say is… no matter what, you were always there and seeing your face, even when these horrible things were going on all around us… it made it seem like everything was going to be okay, because no matter what could've happened to us, I knew it would be me and you until the end… because you're amazing, and if I've learned anything over my time with you, it's that…"_

_The words were there, but Midna could not force them to escape her throat._

"_Link, I…"_

_Link silenced her by placing his hand on hers._

"_It's okay, Midna… I think know what you're trying to say."_

_They did not notice their faces moving closer to each other._

"_Midna… thank you for being there with me through all of it, and for being here now. I want to say that I…_

_Midna gave a small sweet smile and said, "It's okay, Link. I know what you're trying to say."_

_Then, the distance between their lips was closed, and words were no longer needed. Peace filled the minds of Link and Midna as they kissed for what could have been an hour but felt like only a fraction of a second._

_As they separated, there was silence. No confessions were needed, nor were any affirmations. Their kiss made clear everything that fumbling words would most certainly have failed._

"_Midna… when you return to the Twilight Realm, please don't stay gone for too long at a time, if you can help it. And I'll always be here to see you when you come back."_

"_Thanks, Link," Midna replied, trying not to succumb to the sadness that begged her to shed tears and the thought of breaking her hero's heart._

"_Good night, Midna. I…" Link choked on his own words, not sure if he was ready to say __**those**__ words yet…_

_He settled for "See you later."_

_Midna giggled, "You mean tomorrow?"_

_Link laughed at himself._

"_Good night, Mr. Big Important Hero."_

* * *

Link cringed at the bitter irony that this wonderful memory was torturing him more so than the one of Midna leaving him and severing their connection.

Frustrated and tired, he retired to his guest bedroom, undressed, and collapsed onto the bed, finding relief from his emotions in the fragile bliss of sleep.

* * *

_**Hope you are enjoying the story so far, this should be a fun one!**_

_**As a lifelong Bama football fan (and student at the University of Alabama), I had to include a historic reference to my school here. If you can identify the quote from legendary Alabama football coach Paul "Bear" Bryant in this chapter, I will be well and thoroughly impressed with you.**_

_**May not have been Alabama's year this year in football, but we are proud to say that we dominated this decade. And we'll be right back next year. Roll Tide!**_

_**Y'all have a blessed day.**_


	3. II: The Discovery

_**Hey, y'all. Wanted to give a little heads-up about something weird in this story.**_

_**We're not going to worry about time zones in this story just for the sake of simplicity... you'll thank me later. Just to make everything easier on you the readers and me the author, if it's midnight in the Koopa Empire then it's also midnight in Hyrule and the Mushroom Kingdom and the United States and in a galaxy far far away.**_

_**Also, shoutout to nannymay for being the first reviewer on this story! If you want a shoutout, leave me a detailed comment containing your thoughts.**_

_**With that business out of the way, please enjoy this chapter.**_

* * *

**ONE WORLD**

_Chapter II. The Discovery_

* * *

Something strange had been happening in the world's oceans. Currents were going the wrong directions and one day, a few months ago, the effect had become so profound that it was visible from the REXA Space Station.

On that day, the currents made defined lines pointing to the place in the ocean where the Australian continent once sat. The currents had swirled in a strange triangular shape before returning to normal.

Now, there was no implication that the bizarre event had ever occurred; it seemed to be merely a brief glitch in nature's pattern.

But Lord Gallius of the Koopa Empire was unsatisfied with this explanation. He studied the images of the currents until his eyes ached. When he was not presiding over world meetings, tending to the princes and princess of the Koopas, or writing music, he was studying the images in hopes of finding a better explanation for their cause.

On a warm summer morning months after the climax of the strange event, Gallius turned his attention to where the currents had met.

It became an arrow staring the world straight in the face. The currents that met in Australia's former home swirled around for a few hours that day, but in one of the pictures from REXA, the currents had lined up to draw a perfect triangle consisting of three triangles stacked upon each other. The foam in the waters outlined the triangle on the top and the two on the bottom, leaving the illusion of a hole in the middle of the shape.

Gallius recognized the pattern from ancient Koopa legends, regarded as little more than myths to tell children at night. Something told the Chancellor that was about to change very soon. He had to speak with the King, immediately.

He rushed through the halls of Koopa Castle, praying that Bowser was in the Throne Room and not busy in a meeting. Sure enough, Lord Gallius found His Highness perched upon his throne holding a glass of his morning favorite: orange juice made from oranges imported from Florida in the United States.

"Gallius," came Bowser's booming but always friendly (at least, since he dropped his whole tyrannical king façade) voice.

"You look a little flustered; what is it?"

"Bowser, remember the currents going wild and lining up where Australia used to be?"

"Are you still obsessing over that?"

"Yes, and for good reason. I think those stories that Koopas tell their children about a land hidden in the sky that can only be found by those who seek it with peace in their hearts might not just be stories."

Bowser all but dropped his glass of orange juice because of his roaring laughter.

"Gallius, you've always known how to make people laugh," Bowser said after calming down.

"Your Highness, I'm not joking. I believe that on that day when the world changed and became what it is now, Australia became -"

"Okay, look," the King interrupted, standing up and walking over to Gallius. "If you're being serious, I'm going to call the men in white coats because there's no way that there's a whole continent floating somewhere in the sky. Our satellites would have seen it if there was anything there."

"Bowser, did you even listen to those stories as a child? The land can only be seen if you seek it out wanting to make peace with it. To seek something, you have to believe in it."

"Well, I ain't believing it. Seems too much like a fairy tale to be plausible."

"Just look at this image, please." Gallius showed Bowser the picture of the foaming triangles.

"That doesn't prove anything to me," Bowser scoffed. "Any big disturbance in the ocean could cause the currents to change."

Gallius frowned.

"It's there, Bowser, I'm telling you; right where the currents meet. The continent in the sky, raised up by the golden power in our legends and myths."

"Alright, I'll tell you what. You take an airship, go on over there and look for it. You're not going to find anything, but at least we'll be able to put this to rest when you get back."

"Wow, you really don't believe me. I'll prove it to you, I've discovered the impossible. The legends are true, and when I get back with proof of what I've discovered, you owe me what you promised six months ago and 'never got around to doing it.'"

"Okay, fine. You bring a picture of what you're claiming is out there, and I'll finally put a dark chocolate fountain in the courtyard."

Gallius held out his hand, and the King shook it.

"I'll be back in no more than four days," said Lord Gallius as he exited the throne room.

* * *

It was the night before the grand parade, and Link was on his way to the throne room of Hyrule Castle to inform Princess Zelda that he had decided to accept her offer of making him a Knight of Hyrule.

The Hylian Royal Guard admitted him into the throne room where the Chief of the Guard, a man named Leo, was conversing with the Princess.

"Link!" Leo called.

"Please join us," chimed the Princess.

Link joined them and addressed Leo and Princess.

"Is there something you need, Link?" asked Zelda.

"Well," Link started. "I considered your offer, and I have decided to accept it."

"Oh, how wonderful!" Zelda exclaimed. She seemed to be in a contagious good mood.

"Chief Leo, at the end of the parade tomorrow, I will be knighting Link as thanks for his service to our kingdom."

"Ah," Leo beamed. "An honor well-deserved. As you may know, young Link, Knights of Hyrule live in their own homes in their own provinces and towns, but always must be prepared for the call to service."

"Yes," Link replied. "I know; it is an honor that I will strive every day to deserve."

"I have no doubt of your honor and worthiness, Link," affirmed the Princess. "You seem to be in better spirits today."

"Well, I am. I've decided that moping about what happened yesterday can't change anything. I have to move on so that I can continue to serve Hyrule."

"So good to hear," was Zelda's response.

With business taken care of for the night, Link retired a bit early. He could not help but be excited for tomorrow; after all, it is not every day you get knighted by the Princess of Hyrule.

Link requested a bath drawn in his suite. He had a bath that morning before traveling to Zora's Domain to check on Prince Ralis (which took all day; he returned from Zora's Domain and went straight to the throne room), so the attendants were a bit surprised by his request. He told them that traveling for much of the day had wired him and he wanted a nice soak to ease him into being ready for bed.

"Well," he said to himself when he was alone and settled into his bath. "I didn't say anything that wasn't true... but it wouldn't have been very humble to say I had to make sure I was squeaky clean for being knighted..."

Link soaked for about twenty minutes and then went on to bed, excited for the next step in his service to Hyrule.

* * *

As the sun rose in the east Lord Gallius made out a shape on the horizon that did not quite fit in with the water around and below the ship. He alerted the pilot of the airship to reduce speed and activate the telescope on the front of the ship. It was installed to keep a lookout for unruly sailors in the seas and skies, but today it would prove useful in proving legends to be true.

Gallius peered through the telescope and made history. There, floating hundreds of feet above the surface of the water was the land of the legends in all its glory.

"Danny!" Gallius called to his most advanced organ student who also served as his assistant.

"Yes, Lord Gallius?" Danny asked when he had run up to his teacher.

"You believed me about it being there, so take a look," Gallius said, showing Danny to the telescope.

"Oh my... is that..."

"Indeed, my friend. Go get my phone, quickly."

"I brought it with me; I thought it was why you called me."

Gallius chuckled, "I have taught you well."

Gallius found the contact he desired and pressed video call, and was greeted by a sleepy and grumpy King of the Koopas.

"Gallius, why are you video calling me at the butt crack of dawn? If you're mad about being wrong just go write something angry for the Imperial Symphony."

"My King, behold..."

Gallius angled the camera so that Bowser was, effectively, looking through the telescope.

"You have just got to be kidding me..." he finally said, stunned.

"No Bowser, it's just as I said. I have found Hyrule."

* * *

_**Really wanted to write more, but it's midnight in Tuscaloosa, Alabama and I am as tired as tired gets!**_

_**Good night, and see y'all next time.**_


	4. III: The Great Hyrule Parade

_**No one had tried to guess about what the Paul "Bear" Bryant quote was in Chapter I... I'll be announcing the answer in the Author's Note in Chapter IV. I'll give you a small hint: Zelda is the one that said it.**_

_**As I mentioned previously, I did raise the rating for this story from **_**K-plus _to _T. _This way, if some crude humor finds its way into the story or something mild like that, everyone will be prepared. We're big boys and girls and can handle some subtle references, right?_**

_**Nothing else to say; enjoy some new content.**_

* * *

**ONE WORLD**

_Chapter III. The Great Hyrule Parade._

* * *

The _Infinity_, Lord Gallius's flagship approached Hyrule from the northwest; the mountains north of the Gerudo Desert impressed the ship's crew.

"Have you made contact with anyone yet?" Lord Gallius asked Hannah, his computer science and communications expert.

"No, sir. In fact, we can't seem to detect any signals of any kind, or at any frequency. It appears as though whoever lives here doesn't have any communications technology."

"Hmm…" Gallius contemplated. "Then they have probably never seen a ship flying in the air. Furthermore, they probably aren't aware of anything existing outside of Hyrule. We'll need to land somewhere remote and not draw a lot of attention so that we don't startle these folks."

"I just completed a geological survey; it appears that Hyrule is heavily forested in many areas. If you want to avoid getting a lot of sudden attention, our best bet would be to keep the _Infinity_ out of view of the main settlement in central Hyrule while you take a small shuttle and land here."

Hannah pointed to a place in the southernmost region of Hyrule.

"There's a small settlement there," Hannah explained. "But it's small enough that spooking them at first wouldn't have drastic consequences affecting the rest of Hyrule."

Gallius agreed that the plan was a solid one and ordered that it be put into action. The _Infinity _would skirt the western edge of the Gerudo Desert to get a better survey of the country, while a small shuttle—containing Lord Gallius, his guards, and a few other personnel—was dispatched to land in the small village in southern Hyrule.

All aboard marveled at the architecture of the Arbiter's Keep when the ship passed over Gerudo Desert. It was a marvel to witness a structure so grand that was designed well enough that it stood in the sand for what must have been hundreds of years, judging by the wear on the structure. While nature in the form of wind erosion had taken its toll, the building still stood grand and proud.

Clearly, an intelligent civilization resided in Hyrule, regardless of an apparent lack of advanced technology. Lord Gallius could barely contain his excitement to interact with what appeared to be such a rich culture.

* * *

"Sometimes, I don't know what to make of Hyrule's culture."

Link had returned from a fairly unpleasant mission, and he was in Telma's Bar having a tall glass of milk while voicing his bewilderment to Telma at what had happened.

"I wake up this morning, and the Sun was barely up over the mountains in the East. I feel like taking a little ride around the field since it's safe now, so I go down to the stables and get Epona ready."

"You keep your horse in the town stables?" Telma interrupted.

"Oh, no; the royal stable lets me keep her there while I'm in town."

"Ah, I see. Sorry for interrupting, carry on."

"Well, I was just gonna turn around and come back when I got to Eldin Bridge, but when I got there I saw a couple guys robbing an old lady on the other side of the bridge. So of course, I ride across the bridge to help. And you will never believe what happened when I got over there."

"Let me hear it," said Telma, leaning forward on the bar.

"When I got over there, sword drawn and all, the old lady and the 'robbers' started laughing and shaking hands. I say, 'What's going on?' The so-called old lady then takes off a wig and is revealed to be a dude, and starts explaining. He says they're actors rehearsing for the play they're performing after the parade tonight. They all refused to explain further, saying I'd have to attend the play to find out what happens."

At this point, Telma was doubled over in laughter. Link seemed a bit annoyed by this.

"It's not funny, Telma."

"Link," she said through fits of laughter. "That's the first time I've ever heard you say something untrue; that's the funniest thing I've heard since two months ago when Ashei got drunk and asked Shad to sleep with her!"

Now it was Link's turn to laugh.

"Wait, that actually happened? I thought Rusl was kidding about that!"

"Nope, and that's not even the funniest part."

"Telma, what could be funnier than Ashei asking Shad of all the men in Hyrule for... well, that?"

"... HE SAID NO!"

Link could safely say that this was the hardest he had ever laughed before. Imagining Shad rejecting Ashei's drunk affections only made him laugh harder. He was glad it was still fairly early and it was only him and Telma at the bar. Then, however, the door opened and Ashei herself came in to see the fit of laughter, which seemed to grow even louder when she entered, despite Link and Telma's efforts to calm it down.

"What's so funny?" the hero of Telma's tale asked, also hoping to have a good laugh.

"Oh, nothing really," Telma managed. "Just got tickled at something a drunkard said a while ago."

"Yeah? What was that?" Ashei inquired.

"Trust me," Link said. "You wouldn't believe us if we told you."

"Well, I hate I missed it," Ashei said, looking confused. "Link, why do you have that sword with you?"

Ashei referred to the sword in an ornamented gold and purple scabbard leaning against his barstool.

"Now that," Telma chuckled. "That's a story worth telling."

Telma retold Link's story about what happened on the bridge, and Ashei enjoyed it as much as Telma had previously. Hearing it told from someone else, Link also had a good laugh at himself. It was hard not to, as the story is really quite ridiculous; one would hardly believe it was true had anyone but honest old Link told it.

"Well," Ashei said after recovering. "Why is that a Royal Guard's sword and not your sword?"

"I returned the Master Sword to its home; when Hyrule has need of it again, I or the next chosen one will retrieve it. This sword here is a gift from Leo, chief of Princess Zelda's Royal Guard. It's custom-made, check it out."

Link unsheathed the blade, revealing a beautiful engraving that read:

_Sir Link Evil's-Bane_

"'Sir?'" Ashei read from the blade.

"You're not a knight, are you, Link?" Telma asked.

"Well, no," said Link. "I think Leo just thought it was cool to have that engraved on there."

Truth be told, until last night, Link was unsure as to why the engraving was on the sword when Leo gifted it to him a few months ago. He now realized that Zelda had been wanting to knight him for a while. And Leo had been in on it too.

"You guys coming to the parade tonight?" Link asked.

"I'm working security," said Ashei. "So I'll be perched up on the gate right above the Princess and all the officials with my bow. Probably the best view you can, honestly."

"Well, I'm not working at all," said Telma, gleefully. "I'm closing up tonight so I can be there."

"That's great," Link replied to both. "It's going to be a really grand time."

* * *

As the strange flying object touched down, the villagers of Ordon approached it with careful curiosity. It appeared to be made out of metal and it spit out blue fire that seemed to propel it forward and assist in making a gentle landing by slowing it down, all while not burning the ground it touched. The object looked like it was built to resemble a turtle shell.

"What is it, love?" a blonde woman holding her toddler's hand asked the man who must have been her husband.

"I'm not sure..." the man answered. A boy appearing to be his son trailed closely behind him as he inched closer to the contraption.

"Rusl, be careful," a large man with tusks warned.

"I will, Bo," Rusl answered. "I think if it was going to hurt us, it would've done that already. Colin, go to your mother and stay there."

Colin looked disappointed but did as he was told.

A part of the object moved away, and white steam poured out of the newly formed opening. All the villagers watched intently as several people walked out.

"Greetings," said the man in front, tall and confident, yet friendly.

"My name is Lord Gallius of the Koopa Empire, and this is my assistant Danny, my communications specialist Hannah, and my security guards. We come in peace."

Bo stepped forward and addressed Gallius.

"Lord Gallius, welcome. I'm Bo, mayor of Ordon Village. I must ask, where did you come from and what is this contraption you've arrived in?"

"Mayor Bo, pleased to meet you," Gallius said, shaking Bo's hand firmly (a feat that impressed Bo).

Gallius then addressed the village as a whole.

"We have come from a kingdom far northwest of here called the Koopa Empire. In our kingdom, stories are told of the magical land of Hyrule. Many don't believe this stories are true, but I found evidence that they were and I found this place shortly after."

"You mean to say, Lord Gallius, that there are kingdoms outside our Hyrule?" Rusl asked, amazed.

"Indeed, many countries exist in the world outside of Hyrule."

"Incredible..."

"As for your question about what this machine is," Gallius gestured to their shuttle as he spoke.

"This is a Koopa Civilian Transport Shuttle; we use them and other such vehicles to travel quickly around the world and beyond it."

For almost two hours, Lord Gallius told of the other lands and the technological wonders in the world beyond Hyrule. The villagers were most impressed by the features of Lord Gallius's smartphone, which allowed him to communicate with the seemingly annoyed King of the Koopa Kingdom (who resembled a large turtle crossed with a dragon) countless miles away, and also allowed him to capture not only still images of the world around him, but even capture events as they unfolded in something he called a "video."

"Well, Lord Gallius," Bo said cheerfully, putting a firm hand on Gallius's shoulder.

"I'd like to invite you to come with us to Hyrule Castle Town for a parade tonight. If we leave now we'll get there in time to get someplace with a decent view. And a parade put on by the Hylian Royal Family is not to be missed!"

"We would be honored, but we have to report back to the King now so I can give him a status and rub your existence in his face."

The villagers had a good laugh at that.

"Please, visit again soon!" Bo said. "And allow me to be the first to officially say this: Welcome to Hyrule."

* * *

The Sun was beginning to paint the skies of Hyrule in brilliant hues of orange and purple. People were starting to claim their spots along the parade route. The parade would enter Castle Town from the western gate and go down through the southern roads and then head north to stop at the fountain in the center of town. It would truly be a grand sight.

Zelda stood outside the throne room and looked out over Hyrule, her kingdom. Suddenly, her attention was drawn southward when an object far too large and too round to be any kind of bird emerged from the trees south of Faron and made for the mountain range in the Western Reaches beyond Gerudo, and disappeared behind the peaks.

Just then, Leo topped the stairs and found his destination: the Princess.

"Your Highness, everything is ready for tonight's parade."

"Thank you, Chief Leo. Where is Link?"

"He was a few minutes behind me, Your Highness. Is something wrong?"

"I don't think so. I just saw a strange object flying from what appears to be Ordona Province. It was large and round, and it disappeared behind the Western Reaches."

"A balloon, perhaps?" chimed a new voice.

It was Link, in his perfectly clean tunic and hat with full chainmail underneath. He looked like a knight, but also like one of the people. It was exactly what the kingdom needed to see in its newest Hylian Knight.

"Forgive me, I merely overheard your concern about a strange, large and round object over Ordon."

"You think a balloon is the best explanation?" Zelda asked. "It was moving quite quickly; it went from Ordona Province to the Western Reaches in only several seconds."

"Whoa, that is really fast..." Link pondered.

"Perhaps the evening light is simply playing games with my eyes," the Princess offered, satisfied that this was not something over which she should be worrying.

When there was a danger posed to her kingdom, the Triforce of Wisdom spoke to her in a quiet voice to warn her. This evening, the Triforce was silent; so the Princess of Hyrule was at peace. _Just jitters about the parade,_ she thought to herself.

* * *

"_Infinity _Command to Koopa Castle, please respond."

Lord Gallius and company had returned to the _Infinity_, hidden from Hyrule by its western mountains, and were attempting to contact the Koopa Empire. For some reason, they were having difficulty getting a transmission to go through. Hannah was trying everything she knew to try while Gallius tried to speak to the Koopas, with no success.

"Lord Gallius!"

An engineer on the bridge of the _Infinity_ had called out to Lord Gallius and he came quickly over to his position and asked what he had found.

"I've detected a signal, but it doesn't seem to have a traceable origin. Plus, it's of no wavelength or frequency that I can detect. It's just... there."

"Well," Gallius pondered. "We knew that this was a magical place, and we were aware that it might interfere with some of our communications technology. Speaking to the King can wait; we should get down there and attend that parade that everyone seems to be so excited about."

Thermal imaging of Hyrule had shown mass amounts of people migrating toward central Hyrule where Hyrule Castle was located, seemingly in order to attend this parade.

"Are you sure you want to do that, Lord Gallius?" Hannah asked. "You didn't want to draw attention, and the parade is starting soon. To make there on time, you would have to land much closer to the castle."

"You're right... maybe we could use our new teleportation technology. It's been needing a test."

"It's been tested on ships with people inside, sir."

"Indeed; it needs to be tested on people without the ship as well. I'll volunteer to go first."

"Lord Gallius," Danny spoke up. "With all due respect, we can't test it on you. If something happens to you, the Koopa Empire and the rest of the world is gonna be in serious trouble. Let me do it."

"Um... there's just one problem," Hannah said. "The _Infinity_ hasn't been equipped with the technology yet... I just remembered, it was supposed to installed next week, but this thing came up and there wasn't enough time."

"Shoot..." Gallius said. "Well, then. We'll wait until the parade is over to make our appearance. We'll cut the lights on the bottom of the ship; the _Infinity _is huge but easily hidden. From up there we can watch the parade and, when it's over, we'll get on the shuttle and head down. Ladies and gentlemen, prepare to make ourselves known."

* * *

Finally.

It was finally time for the parade. As the sun set, Princess Zelda gave the order to a hornblower, who gave the signal for the parade to start.

It was a grand time; there was no one in attendance who was not enjoying themselves. The parade began with a band of trumpet players and drummers who played a grand march to celebrate Hyrule's victory over evil. There were also clowns who followed the band, entertaining the masses with their silly conduct. Following the clowns were a choir who sang a song they composed for Princess Zelda, likening her wisdom to the stars in the sky.

In short, it was a joyful occasion that Hyrule would remember for many generations to come.

At the end of the procession was Link perched atop Epona, and he got the greatest applause of all the parade's acts. It was impossible not to puff out his chest upon receiving this much admiration. He knew that Midna would be so proud to see so many people calling him their hero. One would think that this would have saddened Link, but it only made him happier to know that she, too, had called him hero.

No one knew, save for Link, Zelda, Leo, and the Knights of Hyrule, that this parade would end in Link being knighted.

The parade ended at the fountain, with the various performers joining the crowd as Link alone remained standing before the Princess and the Hylian Royal Council. Link glanced around, looking for familiar faces. Ironically, he found all of Ordon Village; Renado, Luda, and Barnes and the Goron Elders from Kakariko Village and Death Mountain; the newly crowned King Ralis of the Zora's; Telma and others in the Resistance (except for Ashei, who was on security) and even Yeto and Yeta from Snowpeak all in the same place, grouped together. He could not help but wonder if Zelda had grouped all of his friends together to make sure his friends saw him become a Knight of Hyrule.

With a nod from Zelda, the hornblower gave another signal, quieting the crowd so that Zelda could speak.

"People of Hyrule. Tonight, all of Hyrule celebrates, for we are free from darkness and we have restored our kingdom to all of its glory and more. Now, I have something special planned to conclude the Great Hyrule Parade: we will be rewarding our hero, Link..."

Zelda had to pause due to the overwhelming applause and cheering from essentially all of Hyrule. When they settled, she continued.

"We are rewarding Link by bestowing a special honor upon him. Usually, when this honor is given, it is done in the throne room of Hyrule Castle with only the Hylian nobility and security in attendance. This time, however, it is only fitting that the reward Link is receiving be witnessed by every person that he served in earning it. Tonight, in thanking Link for his tremendous service for our kingdom, I, Princess Zelda of Hyrule, ask him to step forward. I also ask silence from the crowd."

Link stepped forward, containing his emotions for now, and bowed on one knee before the Princess, his hands resting on the hilt of his sword, the unsheathed blade of which was held to the cobblestones beneath him.

"Link," spoke the Princess.

"Do you swear to uphold the law of Hyrule, never wavering, even in the face of death?"

"I swear."

"Do you swear to adhere to the Hylian code of chivalry in all your dealings, both public and private?"

"I swear."

"Do you swear to defend the honor of our kingdom by always remembering the sacred values of the Triforce: to use power to protect others, use wisdom to lead others, and by displaying courage, inspire others?"

"I swear"

"Having delivered the ancient oath of the Knights of Hyrule, I, Princess Zelda of Hyrule, by the power vested in me by the Triforce, and by the Spirits of Light that guard our lands, and by the faith of the people of Hyrule, do hereby dub thee: Sir Link Evil's-Bane, Knight of Hyrule. Rise, and serve our mighty kingdom 'til death relieve thee of thy duty."

As Zelda finished quoting from memory and Link stood, Hyrule Castle Town exploded in applause and cheers for the hero. No one was expected a knighting ceremony, but everyone would agree that it was well-deserved.

Amid the celebration, a loud hum was heard above the castle, and a round object spitting blue flames landed in the courtyard beyond the southern gate of Castle Town.

* * *

_**And now... the plot thickens, as my dear grandfather used to say. I had an unparalleled amount of fun writing this chapter. I hope you enjoyed reading it as well.**_

_**Tell me what you like (or don't) about this story so far, and maybe your expectations moving forward.**_

_**Have a blessed night, or day, or whatever it is for you right now!**_


	5. IV: Exchange of Power

_**Hello, everyone! I hope y'all had a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, and I wish you all success and happiness in 2020.**_

_**I'm very excited at the number of views this story has so far—over 120 and counting! I have you readers to thank for that, so thank y'all!**_

_**Before we get back into the story, I should make a little announcement/heads-up. Although this story takes place immediately following the events of **_**Twilight Princess**_**, we will be using the map of Hyrule from **_**Breath of the Wild**_**. There are a couple reasons, one being that it is enormous, as I feel Hyrule should be; another being that you never know what connections might be made to the events that will take place in **_**Breath of the Wild**_**, thousands of years from today… so just remember that Zora's Domain is in the east rather than the north, and I always imagined that Lurelin Village in **_**Breath of the Wild**_** is what eventually became of Ordon Village, so let's just roll with it!**_

_**Without further delay, please enjoy what follows!**_

* * *

**ONE WORLD**

_Chapter IV. Exchange of Power._

* * *

Following the appearance of the Koopa shuttle at Hyrule Castle (and the confusion and fear that quickly ensued, which was calmed when it became clear that the visitors came in peace), the visitors were quickly ushered into the castle's meeting chambers so that the governing powers of Hyrule could, in Chief Leo's words, "figure out what's going on and why these people just came out of a giant flying turtle shell."

Princess Zelda, Chief Leo, the Hylian advisors, and the Knights of Hyrule—including the newly inducted Sir Link Evil's-Bane—gathered with Lord Gallius and his company to learn that the world did not end at Hyrule's edges.

The Hylians learned of kingdoms and technology beyond their imagining. They marveled at the same things the Koopa visitors had previously shown the Ordonians.

After an hour or so of introductions and explanations, the entire company emerged from Hyrule Castle, surprised to see that no one had left since the end of the parade.

Zelda cleared her throat and spoke with cheer in her voice. "Statements containing explanations of these recent events will be delivered all over Hyrule as soon as we can get them written and into messengers' bags. I assure you that it is nothing but happy news to be told. For tonight, let us go down to the theatre and enjoy the play that some of Hyrule's finest actors have put together for our enjoyment!"

The crowd cheered and people began to make their way to the old theatre, enjoying the play that was constructed in celebration of the Great Hyrule Parade. Link finally got to see the events surrounding the scene where the robbers were accosting the old lady.

Evidently, the "old lady" was an infamous bandit in disguise who was robbing two poor men. Unfortunately for the bandit, the poor men turned out to be masters in martial arts, and they defeated the bandit and turned him in for a large reward. They used the reward to purchase weapons they could use to rob people more effectively than they had done before, inspired by the bandit they had defeated. They were eventually arrested by the king's men and thrown into prison with the bandit, where the three of them spent the rest of their lives together.

No one knew how the play had anything to do with the celebration, but the play was very comical, adding to the cheery mood of the night.

It was a fitting end to such a grand celebration; first was the giant fun of the parade with the performers and dancers, then the grandiose ceremony of the knighting of Link, then the excitement of visitors from outside Hyrule, and it all ended in laughter and light-heartedness.

Ganondorf was gone, and so were the cares of the people of Hyrule.

"Princess Zelda," Lord Gallius addressed the monarch. "On behalf of my friends here with me, I thank you for inviting us to spend the night in this gorgeous castle before we travel back to the Koopa Empire tomorrow."

"Of course; you are all friends of Hyrule, so Hyrule Castle welcomes you."

King Bowser had just landed in his royal flagship, the _Rex Testa_, moments ago; Zelda and her guards, as well as Gallius and his company, were heading to Castle Town's southern gate to usher the King of the Koopas inside the castle.

"I am so glad," Zelda continued. "That the King of your country will also be our guest tonight. This is truly a special evening for us in Hyrule Castle."

Link voiced a soft "agreed" and returned to silence. He appeared deep in thought, almost as if he was suspicious of an unknown enemy. He was not suspicious of Hyrule's guests; he had developed a good friendship with Lord Gallius, opening up to him about Midna and her departure after Gallius expressed concern over Link's apparent gloom.

What he suspected he could not name, and therefore shrugged it off. Zelda also appeared a slight bit agitated, but came to the same resolution as Link, shedding off the unwarranted worries for the evening's sake. Perhaps Hyrule had lately grown too accustomed of worrying.

* * *

Deep beneath the castle, his spirit tried desperately, yet futilely, to make his body move.

The fool had plunged the blade into his heart, and the traitorous coward had broken his neck, but his spirit could never be extinguished. Though the Triforce of Power had faded from the body, the spirit still possessed it.

Alas, despite all the spirit's efforts, the body was as dead as it could ever be.

_My spirit is far too weak to manifest physically… and it grows weaker every day that my body remains still… what will I do?_

Suddenly, the spirit felt an unfamiliar presence. A strong presence, of a being worthy to hold his spirit and allow it to grow so that it may one day burst forth and finally consume wretched Hyrule. A being whose body was strong enough to use the Triforce of Power without being destroyed by it…

In an invisible wind, the spirit left the body and traveled upward, phasing through layer upon layer of rock to reach Hyrule Castle, where it found a hulking form sporting a large shell speaking with the Princess and others.

No one saw nor heard the wind, but a brief chill passed over the halls of Hyrule Castle when the spirit found its mark.

The fools of Hyrule had made a grave mistake in burying evil beneath their castle and assuming it dead and powerless.

_Now… they will learn._

* * *

_**Sorry this is a bit of a short chapter, but this serves as the bridge to the rest of the story now that all the exposition stuff is out of the way.**_

_**The Paul "Bear" Bryant quote earlier in the story was when Zelda said, "The price of victory is high, but so are the rewards." Roll Tide.**_

_**Liking the story? Leave a review (I love getting those)!**_


	6. V: Corruption

**ONE WORLD**

_Chapter V. Corruption._

* * *

It was two weeks after the Great Hyrule Parade, and the revelation of Hyrule's existence, and Bowser had begun acting unlike himself upon his return to the Koopa Empire.

At times, he would lash out at the slightest agitation. While it was known that Bowser had a temper, the King was always careful to control it. When ordering Gallius's promised chocolate fountain, however, Bowser snapped at an Imperial Police officer who informed him that there were reports of unruly behavior in the streets of Downtown Koopa City; the King had responded violently, yelling at the officer to handle the situation himself and threatening to assail him with fire otherwise.

This alarmed Ludwig, who happened to be in the throne room with Bowser. No one had seen Bowser use his fiery magic since his space conquest (now called the Great Galaxy Incursion), after which he vowed only to use his magic to create beneficial technology. Ludwig quietly slipped out of the throne room to find Lord Gallius, whom he located in his study atop the Astral Observation Tower.

"Hey, Ludwig," Gallius called when Ludwig entered his study. "Something wrong?"

"Yes…" Ludwig replied nervously. "I wouldn't disturb you unless it were important."

"You're not disturbing me, I was just revisiting some old robot designs that I'm going to show to the Sheikah the next time I'm in Hyrule."

The Sheikah had emerged from beneath the Hidden Village and built a new Kakariko Village east of the Dueling Peaks shortly after the Great Hyrule Parade. The speed at which they built their village was staggering, and it turned out to be because of the technological advances they made in the field of building during their period of hiding beneath the Hidden Village. They could make anything out of wood, metal, or even stone, by exposing it to a mysterious energy they created and called the Blue Flames.

Lord Gallius deduced that Sheikah building technology could be combined with the technology wrought from Bowser's magic to create machines that could be used in place of an army to protect the countries of the world. If the machines were properly configured, they could even, possibly, be used to protect Hyrule from inevitable future reincarnations of the spirit called Ganon.

After spending two weeks learning every scrap of information there was to learn about the history of Hyrule, Gallius teamed up with the Sheikah to start a project called the Guardian Initiative, wherein machines would be created to serve as protectors against darkness in future generations.

"I need to take a break anyway," Gallius said, standing up. "What's wrong?"

"Well… you know that my father has been acting strangely for the last couple weeks."

"Yes, I'm concerned for him lately. In the past, he has always been excited to hear about the technology we're creating using his magic, but for some reason, he won't let me tell him about our plans for protecting Hyrule from future iterations of the spirit Ganon that plagues them. His behavior is out of his character and, quite frankly, potentially dangerous. And to make matters worse, tonight is the night of the Star Festival in the Mushroom Kingdom. The King refused to RSVP for the celebration."

"Hmm… and just several moments ago, he threatened to attack a police officer with fire if he did not handle a situation properly in downtown."

Gallius looked puzzled, and he looked even more concerned than before.

"This disturbs me, Ludwig."

"It disturbs me, as well. I'm worried that he may do something in his agitated state that he will regret later. Father has worked so hard to make peace and if he gives that up now…"

"That won't happen, Ludwig… I'm going to speak with him."

Gallius left his study and went to the throne room. As he was about to enter the throne room, however, he heard a horrible scream coming from inside. The scream was not the voice of the Koopa King, this was a voice that Gallius did not recognize.

Worried that Bowser had hurt someone in one of his fits, he flung the doors open.

To his horror, Gallius saw Koopa guards' lifeless bodies splayed across the throne room. Worse, Bowser lay in a fetal position beneath the throne, holding his right hand in his left and muttering in an unfamiliar language.

"Bowser!"

Gallius began to run to the King but stopped immediately when Bowser looked up at him. The eyes that peered into him were not Bowser's; these eyes were yellow and feral.

"Run, take the kids and run, Gallius—I can't hold him back anymore. Get out, go now!"

As soon as he had said this, he threw his head back and roared—no, he screamed. It was the scream Gallius heard outside the door. Bowser went to all-fours, and that's when Gallius saw it.

As Bowser grew boar-like tusks from his bottom jaw, his right hand began to glow brilliantly with the symbol of the three triangles. The Triforce, and the "top" triangle outshone the lower two.

Gallius immediately understood what had happened to Bowser and ran out of the throne room, back to his study where Ludwig remained. On his way, he was fired upon by Kamek, who was chanting spells in the same language that Bowser was muttering moments ago. He dodged his attacks and was promptly attacked by Dry Bones, who moved to corner him but was blasted to bits by a spell from Ludwig's wand. Kamek fled the scene.

"Gallius, what is going on?" Ludwig asked, distressed.

"I'll explain it later; where are your brothers and sister?"

Ludwig was unable to answer, as the castle began shaking, Bowser's out-of-body screams filling the twilight air.

Suddenly, Ludwig and Gallius were assailed by paint balls.

_He got Junior, too,_ Gallius thought with gritted teeth.

Narrowly avoiding being hit by (probably cursed) paint balls, Ludwig and Gallius made their way into the Lower East Wing, where the Koopalings' rooms were located.

"Maybe, if we can get a miracle, they'll all be down here," said Gallius.

To his joy, Gallius found that each Koopaling was in his/her room minding his/her own business—and not attacking him and Ludwig. He quickly gathered the children and went immediately to the hangar.

They were attacked in the hangar, but these Koopa Troopas were easily taken care of by the Koopalings' powers.

They got into the only ship in the hanger, a Koopa Civilian Transport Shuttle, and raced out of the hangar and upward toward space, where the _Infinity _was waiting for their arrival.

No one spoke. Everyone was too shocked for that. The Koopalings wondered what had just happened. Was it a coup by their own father and king?

But Lord Gallius knew exactly what had happened. His head swirled with a horrible revelation.

_They destroyed his body, but they can't kill his spirit. He returned quickly—is his spirit getting stronger?_

As Gallius spared a glance back toward Koopa Castle, he saw Bowser standing atop the tallest tower and looking upward. Gallius followed his gaze and found that he was looking intently at the Comet that brought the Star Festival to the Mushroom World. Gallius was horrified as Bowser launched himself toward the comet, which disappeared shortly after Bowser disappeared beyond the stratosphere.

What could this mean for them?

* * *

Mario had barely contained his excitement upon reading his letter from Princess Peach. If he had reacted excitedly around his friends Toad and Donkey Kong, who were hanging out with him at his and Luigi's house on the outskirts of Toadtown when he received the letter, he would have had to come up with a lie to explain his excitement.

The letter was a special invitation to join the princess at the castle and have some cake while they watched the mysterious beauty of the Star Bits raining down upon the Mushroom Kingdom.

The relationship he had with the Mushroom Princess was not official, because it was illegal. Well, kind of. The laws were in the process of changing, but it was taking a long time. The reason for this is that Peach had to be very subtle about changing laws about marriage between different social classes so that the populace wouldn't suspect her secret relationship with Mario, who, despite the many times he had saved the Mushroom Kingdom—nay, the world—from domination or destruction, held no higher status than if he really were just a simple plumber.

The only people who knew of the relationship were Luigi, who was out of town on one of his travels; Daisy, who was handling some internal issues in Sarasaland; and Bowser, who decided to stop pestering Princess Peach after confessing that he only did so in attempts to take over her kingdom.

Many would think it strange for Mario and Bowser to become such close friends after being rivals for so long, but perhaps that was what made their friendship as strong as it was. Mario was hoping Bowser would change his mind and decide to come to the festival at the castle tonight; they had not spoken since the discovery of Hyrule was announced, and there were reports that the Koopa King had been acting strangely since then.

Mario was snapped out of his thoughts when Toad bounded up behind him and asked, "Hey Mario, are we gonna finish this game or what?"

Mario and his friends had become entranced by American football lately, and were watching a game between the Michigan Wolverines and the Alabama Crimson Tide—two of the most storied and accomplished programs in the history of American college football.

"Yeah, sorry," Mario quickly replied. He joined Toad in walking back to the living room from the front door where his mail had been delivered "I got mail from in town."

"Ah, okay."

Mario was thankful that Toad did not press the matter.

When the game ended, Alabama being the victor, Mario's guests left his house to make their own preparations for the Star Festival. Most people laid out on towels or lawn chairs outside their homes to watch the heavens dust the kin. Mario, however, would have the best view in the entire kingdom—the view that includes the lovely face of Princess Peach.

When the Sun was almost finished setting, the Mushroom Castle came into Mario's view.

* * *

The Koopalings sat around Gallius in a conference room on the _Infinity_, staring in shock at their caretaker and uncle figure.

"You mean to say…" Larry broke the silence. "You think _Ganon_, the soul of the guy Sir Link killed months ago, is in our dad now?"

"I believe so, yes," Gallius solemnly replied. "I'm taking you all to a safe place. You'll all be safe in our Southern Fortress until this is over. Whatever is about to happen, your father clearly does not want any of you involved in it. The last order he gave me was to get you all out of the castle."

Ludwig gasped.

"What is it, Luddy?" Wendy asked, genuinely concerned at her brother's gasp.

"Do you think that's why Father wouldn't let you tell him about your plans to protect Hyrule from Ganon in the future?"

Gallius scratched his chin, considering what the Crown Prince suggested.

"Maybe he knew… maybe he didn't want you to tell him because he was fighting against Ganon, he didn't want Ganon to hear."

"I think you're right Ludwig," Gallius agreed. "Very perceptive."

The compliment did nothing to soothe the children in this time of distress. If anything, the last revelation made everything heavier than it already was.

Was it possible that they had all been living with _Ganon_, a force that repeatedly threatened mass death and destruction, ever since their king returned from Hyrule?


End file.
